But Alice was too doubled up with mirth to move. Art and Peanut sprang to her relief. They took her by the shoulders, one on each side, and pulled her out, supporting her till she could get her feet down on the ground. Then they hid on either side of the tunnel mouth, and as fast as a head appeared, they grabbed the shoulders behind it, without a word of warning, and pulled the surprised person forth. The only one who fooled them was the guide. He came feet foremost!
There was nearly a mile of this curious, underground path, amid caves and tumbled boulders, now close beside the sunken river, now above it. Some of the caves were very cold. But suddenly they saw full daylight ahead, and they stepped out of the last cave upon a ledge of rock, over which the river dashed in a pretty waterfall, and went flowing away down the hill through the woods, on a perfectly sane and normal above-ground bed.
"Well, that is quite an experience!" said Papa, wiping his forehead.
Mamma looked at her soiled overalls, tried to fix up her hair, and then fanned herself with the palm of her hand.
"Well, I guess the young folks enjoyed it more than I did!" she panted. Then she spied Alice's feet. "Alice!" she cried. "Your feet!"
"What's the matter with my feet?" said Alice.
